The major story of this week regarded how well the Trojan defense would respond to the firing of former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. Some thought that the defense would play more relaxed under different leadership, others thought it didn’t matter who was under the helm, while most fans presumed Head Coach Lincoln Riley made this decision too many games late.

Nonetheless, the defense disappointed again in a 36-27 loss to No. 6 Oregon Saturday night. Yes, the Ducks offense is filled with superstar talent, led by one of the Heisman front runners, senior quarterback Bo Nix. But it just keeps happening repeatedly, and there seems to be no solution to the problem. 

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Given the short time frame between the change in leadership on the defensive side of the ball and the fact that Oregon’s offense is the best in the country, coming into the game averaging 46.43 points per game, Riley was impressed with the level of play.

“I thought the staff did a good job,” Riley said in a postgame press conference. “Guys played hard defensively. We got some key stops there.” 

The key stops that Riley was highlighting were when the Trojans were down 29-14 late in the third quarter when redshirt senior rush end Solomon Byrd hurried Nix on a 3rd & 9, which forced the Ducks to punt for the only time all game. The only other non-scoring drive for the Ducks that didn’t result in a kneel down was a missed field goal in the fourth quarter.

To dissect the play from the defense, the Trojans had a lot of opportunities to make “key stops,” but they never capitalized on their play. The first passing play of the game for the Ducks was a 77-yard touchdown from Nix to junior wide receiver Tez Johnson. The next drive for the Ducks ended in an 84-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Troy Franklin. 

It’s impossible for any key stops to be made if you give up 50 to 60-yard bombs every single play because of broken coverages. The epitome of the night for the defense was in the middle of the second quarter when Nix threw a 63-yard deep ball to Franklin, who was wide open without any defender close to him. The busted coverage was to sophomore cornerback Domani Jackson’s side as he and redshirt senior safety Max Williams had an obvious verbal argument regarding who was supposed to do what.

“Part of our goal was to be able to slow down the game, and we were able to do that at times. But to give up those two big plays …Those were monster plays,” Riley said. “When you play a really good football team like we’ve played here the last several weeks, those are the margins.”

Even though the Trojans seemed confused on defense the entire night, they felt they were well prepared on that end.

“I appreciate the coaching staff, defensive coaches, like Coach Riley said. They did a great job all week,” said redshirt senior rush end Jamil Muhammad. “I think with it, I believe we had the right mindset going into tonight.”

Despite the state of confusion and some missed opportunities from the offense, the Trojans had multiple chances to secure the upset in Eugene. After their only stop of the night, USC had the opportunity to turn it into a one-score game near the end of the quarter. However, that ship was short sailed as junior quarterback Caleb Williams was hesitant on the option play to redshirt senior running back Austin Jones, who eventually fumbled, ending that chance for the Trojans. 

Offensively, Williams and company had a tough time with the huge Autzen Stadium crowd. The place was shaking at the end of the fourth quarter, with the fifth-largest crowd in the stadium’s history screaming the lyrics to “Shout” by the Isley Brothers. It took a toll on the offense from the beginning of the game, as Williams had to call their first timeout only a minute into the game.

Riley has repeatedly proven that he cannot win the crucial games needed to be a championship-level team. Who knows if it’s always the defense’s fault, if it’s Riley’s fault or if there is some blame to put on the projected number one pick in the NFL Draft in Williams.

In Williams’ college career, he has lost to nine ranked opponents, which would be the most of any first-overall pick in 20 years. 

There are some thoughts that Riley and his staff need to do a better job of developing talent so they can reach that next level.

“There is a crazy emphasis on growing here right now,” Riley said. “But of course does [the talent] need to get better? Hell yeah. Is it gonna get better? Hell yeah.”

With the loss Saturday, the Trojans are out of the Pac-12 Championship race, barring any crazy, unforeseen circumstances. 

“I haven’t played much in my whole career of playing ball where I’m at the end of the season and I don’t have a chance to go to the championship,” Williams said. “It’s a weird feeling. It’s tough. It’s tough to lose and not be in a position to win championships which you train super hard for.” 

The Trojans will now look to turn their back on their previous subpar performances to their final game of the season and final game ever in Pac-12 conference play with a date with crosstown rival UCLA.

“We have one more shot in the Coliseum. We’ve got one more chance to play UCLA, and that’s a long-time, historical rival for us.” Riley said. “There is a lot of unity in this locker room, and I think they very much appreciate one last chance to play the game together.” 

USC will host UCLA next Saturday at 12:30 p.m. to see who takes home the coveted Victory Bell.